Blackened Chicken with...that other Grain

Last week a certain blackened chicken recipe caught my eye. The chicken was cut into slices, served over quinoa grains, then drizzled with an avocado sauce. The picture looked so sumptuous that I wanted to jump through the foodie-photo and sample everything on the plate. Scanning the list of ingredients, I was delighted to have everything in my cupboard. Yes, I knew what I'd be serving for dinner!

I was a excited to cook the quinoa since I'd never tried it before. No wait, I take that back. It is quite possible that I tried it in my youth when Mom forced us to eat veggie burgers. Nonetheless, I was still determined to give it a go. An internet search graced me with the knowledge that I didn't have to babysit a simmering pot since my rice cooker would do the job nicely. Once washed, the cup of quinoa was cooked in 2 cups of chicken broth, then mixed with chopped cilantro and spritzed with the juice and zest of a whole lime. The recipe called for two, but I do believe that would have knocked us over!

The chicken was simply two grilled breasts seasoned in the following:
½ Teaspoon of Paprika
¼ Teaspoon of Salt
¼ Teaspoon of Pepper
¼ Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
¼ Teaspoon of Onion Powder
¼ Teaspoon of Cumin

I always wash poultry before cooking it, so once it had a bath and was patted dry with a paper towel, I placed the breasts it in a bowl and evenly sprinkled the mix from above. The paprika makes for a very startling color, and upon washing my hands, had questioned if I'd had another encounter with my zester. Seeing red wash off my fingers is always cause for a startle in my book. Especially when the grater/zester is near.

The sauce that went on top of the chicken was simply an avocado blended with 4 oz. of cream cheese, and a little more cilantro torn and thrown in. My sauce was too thick, so I added a splash of milk so it would spread more easily.

When it was time to eat, I scooped a serving of the cilantro, lime quinoa onto each place, sliced the blackened chicken breast over that, then topped it with a dollop of the avocado cream cheese sauce. **D-lish!**

While I sat and savored the flavors of the grainy quinoa, my husband looked at it with great suspicion. It's not that he was ungrateful and he even ate all that I had served him, but being a white rice purist, he was rather disturbed at another grain being infused with citrus and green leafy bits. I made it up to him a few days ago when I set before him an enormous bowl of steaming white rice. The immense look of gratitude on his face is something I won't soon forget.

All in all, the chicken was suburb, thanks in great part to my "Grill Master" husband who did not overcook the bird. It was cooked through but still quite juicy (maybe 5 minutes a side?). We both agreed that the blacked chicken was a definite do again, but as for the lime quinoa, well, that will remain on the "Make occasionally" list. At least for Andrew anyway. In case you happen to come over for lunch someday, you can join me in the closet, savoring quinoa before my darling gets home for his rice.